The Meaning of Tingo: Words I've had to leave out

The Meaning of Tingo: Words I've had to leave out

We have all the foundations in place, today the joists for the floor went in.

Our neighbours have been chatting away about the extension (the ones who didn't want us to build it), they stand by their window chatting to each other about it and then rush to shut the window and move away as soon as they see us or the builders...they must think we are daft!

All sorted out

Well, thanks to G at the B&Q store, the problem has been solved.

Installation Services were struggling to find a fitter so G took it upon herself to do it. She found a new fitter and he came on Friday and has taken out the bath, wash basin and the airing cupboard. He's also taken up the hideous carpet (good riddance!) and put the pipes in for the ladder radiator.

The original bathroom design won't fit in so he's reworked the design as well, it'll be much better the way he has suggested it.

The kitchen fit date has also been moved, instead of waiting until October we're now getting it done a week on Monday - the whole project seems to be coming together nicely now.

On the building front, the inspector came three times and he's happy with the work that the builders have done and has approved it all so they can carry on working. They've just put down the first blocks for the inner wall so we can really get an idea of the size of it now.

M is a little disappointed as it's smaller than she expected it to be, howver it's probably hard for a 6 year old to imagine from four rows of breeze blocks. She'll love it when it's finished I expect.

bathroom - day 3

No apparent change, but the plumbing under the floor is done.

Bathroom - day 2

Well it's very safe for our children right now! ;)

The bathroom has started - day 1

The remains of the old bathroom are ready for a skip to arrive.

They came...and went..and selfish drivers.

Well the bathroom fitter came and went

The burglar alarm engineer hasn't turned up to move the cables from the airing cupboard so they can't demolish it. He is hopefully coming at midday and the bathroom fitter will (apparently) come back this afternnon.

The building work is progressing well, no further problems today - yet.

Next to our house is a turning circle (we're at the end of a cul-de-sac, silly phrase but never mind) and the house that backs on to it isn't even on our road yet the person living there always parks in the turning circle and says he has permission to do so. The other day he insisted that a workman at our neighbours move his van so he could park in "his" space. Because of his car the school bus for the disabled boy over the road couldn't get past and his Mum had to walk to the end of the road to get him (fine for her but her soon is 9 or so and can't walk very far) and the deliverey driver from B and Q had to reverse all the way down the roaf.

Selfish driver (2) was the BT van driver who reversed an inch away from the side of a car, hit it and drove off. Bad luck for him that DD and I remembered his registration and went and told the owners of the car. Serves him right.

The only way is up.

The building inspector came today, he's still happy but the builders weren't impressed with him.

Anyway, the digging has finished and the builders will shore the walls up tomorrow and start concreting.

We have no fitter!

Well, as predicted, the bathroom fitters did not turn up.

I called B&Q and was told that they would get them to phone us. Still no phone call.

I phoned B&Q again only to be told that the bathroom fitters no longer worked for B&Q but I don't know why. What a good job they hadn't started as they would have been pulled off the job and we'd have half a bathroom.

Scores

Builders 2 Burglar Alarm Engineers 0
Gas Engineers 2 Bathroom Fitters 0
Sick Babies 1 Phone calls explaining no-show 0
Happy 6 year olds 1 Guilty Mothers 0

Score Update

Builders 2 Gas Leaks 1
Foundations 0 Gas Engineers 4
Building Inspectors 0 Holes in Wall 1
Sleeping Baby 0 Holes in Floor 10
Chocolate Cake 1 Muddy carpet 1
Predicted alcohol consumption tonight 2 Probability of needing more chocolate 65%

Good news: the building work can continue but the roof can't go on. Well that's alright then :)

Rain, Buildings Inspectors, Gas Leaks

Today's score at half time :

Builders 2 Gas Leaks 1
Foundations 0 Gas Engineers 1
Building Inspectors 0 Holes in Wall 1
Sleeping Baby 0 Holes in Floor 3

Well it's going well, the hole is getting bigger and bigger, however the drains are in the way. We might need to get building control from the local authority to tell the builders what they want them to do, alternatively the architect might have to revise the plans.

Either way it's another extra cost.

The building inspector will come today.

Today they broke up the base of the garage and that has gone as well, it was a very noisy day so I kept DS inside and eventually went shopping to exchange some winter clothes.

Nothing much will happen now until the footing is done, then the walls can start - once we've got the gas pipe moved that is.

Well the asbestos wasn't a problem and was all removed safely and will be taken away tonight.

The builders seem to be good, they have swept up after themselves and left no mess behind on the base of the garage - given that they will be digging up the base tomorrow I was surprised by this, but appreciated it as the dust would have all ended up in the house.

The gas supply pipe has to be moved or it will be inside the new lounge so I've phoned Transco (www.transco.co.uk) and they seem as inefficient as I'd expect a former government department to be. They have run out of the forms that we need to fill in so I won't receive one by the end of the week.

Once the form has been received we have to fill it in and work out the cost (apparently there is a new "self-quote" system in place - shame it doesn't extend to self choosing the price) and send it back with a cheque - so with something as important as a gas supply, they are prepared to let a complete amateur fill in what needs doing, send a cheque and the first time a Transco employee sees the site is when the work is to be done...hohum.

Tomorrow they will start digging out ready to do the foundations, then they will find out where the drains are as they don't go where they expect them to go. Today has been much more relaxed than I thought it would be, fingers crossed the rest of the week goes as well and they've made good progress by the time the bathroom is delivered on Wednesday and fitting starts on Wednesday.